Delta sweeps River

Press Release Archive

MOORHEAD Pearl River fifth-ranked men basketball squad saw its unblemished record come to a halt here Thursday, as MACJC non-division rival Mississippi Delta handed the Wildcats a stunning 59-53 setback. The Lady Wildcats, on the other hand, suffered a 59-52 setback, falling to 3-6 overall; while the defending state champion Wildcats are now 11-1. MDCC men improved to 6-3, while its women are now 2-7. We just didnt play well at all, said 20th-year men head coach Richard Mathis. They (MDCC men) played like they wanted to knock us out (of the poll) more than we wanted to stay in. The host Trojans led 29-20 at the intermission, bit the Wildcats outscored Delta 33-30 in the second half only to come up seven points shy of victory. Troy University signee Emil Jones of North Forrest High (eight rebounds) and Phillip Crawford out of Murphy High in Mobile, Ala. (11 rebounds), paced the Wildcats with 13 points each; while Kentari Nettles, another Mobile recruit out of LeFlore High, added nine (seven rebounds). Marshun McGee out of Bailey High in Jackson scored four, while Calvin Johnson of Ridgeland High, Nick Magee of East Marion High, LaKendrick Maye of Prentiss High, and LeBaron McMillian of Pascagoula High had two points a piece. Jestonia Kimber led the Trojans with 14, while Anthony Evans scored 12, Jarvis Moore eight, and Danny Bolden, Jamar Harris, and Michael Willis all had seven points a piece. The foul line proved huge. Pearl River sank five of 14 free-throw attempts (35.7 percent) to Mississippi Delta 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) effort; while the Wildcats were 23 of 55 (41.8 percent) from the field to the Trojans 20 of 45 (44.4 percent). From three-point range, PRCC hit 14.3 percent (two of 14), while MDCC hit 41.2 percent (seven of 17). The River had the edge in rebounding, hauling in 34 boards to the hosts 31. Pearl River defeated Delta 81-76 in a previous meeting played Nov. 15 in Poplarville. In the women game, the Lady Trojans led 27-20 at the break, while the two squads battled to a 32-32 stalemate in the second half. Kenyatta Epps of Yazoo City High led PRCC with 14 points, while Nicole Holder of Lumberton High added nine (six rebounds), Branita Malone out of Choctaw High in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., six (eight rebounds); Eugena Fry out of Wingfield High in Jackson six, Quentessa Bullock of East Marion High and Charlene Green out of South Pike High in Magnolia, five each; Francheska Bowman, another Choctaw High (Fla.) recruit, three (four rebounds); and Alayna Bridges of Oak Grove High and Toy Johnson of Pascagoula High, two each. Pearl River hit 33.9 percent (19 of 56) from the field to Delta 32.8 percent (20 of 61), while the Lady Wildcats were two of six (33.3 percent) from three-point range to the Lady Trojans four-of-17 (23.5 percent) effort. PRCC was 12 of 24 (50 percent) at the foul line, while MDCC was 15 of 21 (71.4 percent). Mississippi Delta out-rebounded The River 47-41. PRCC kicks off a string of 11 straight MACJC South Division match ups to wrap the regular when it travels to Southwest Mississippi in Summit Monday (women 5 p.m., men 7 p.m.), then division foe Hinds visits Shivers Gymnasium in Poplarville Thursday with contests at the same game times.